Virginia Cavaliers Post-Portal 2026 Review: Defensive Line

How did the Virginia Cavaliers do bolstering their defensive line?

Virginia Cavaliers defensive tackle Jason Hammond | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Once the Virginia Cavaliers finally gained traction in the transfer portal, head coach Tony Elliott was able to pull several players off the board and welcome them to Scott Stadium. Although his offensive squad tends to get most of the attention this time around, he also made some noteworthy moves to his defensive unit.

As part of our post-portal reviews, we are now taking a look at Virginia's defensive line. Which additions will be making appearances during their 2026 campaign with UVA?

Elliott Brings In Large Haul

Virginia Cavaliers defensive tackle Jason Hammond | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers lost two defensive linemen to the transfer portal this year—Hunter Osborne and Terrell Jones. Since entering the portal, Osborne has committed to Arkansas, and Jones has committed to South Florida. Losing this duo is less than ideal, but the gaps were plugged fairly quickly with quality players.

However, Elliott brought in a large crew to bolster the unit. His EDGE additions include Devon Baxton from Michigan, Matthew Fobbs-White from Baylor, Nnanna Anyanwu from UTSA and Ezekiel Larry from Yale.

Additionally, he pulled Zion Wilson, Darrion Henry-Young, and Jonathan Allen out of the portal. Allen, a 6'2", 290-pound sophomore coming from UAB, was considered one of the top defensive tackles in the portal; landing him was a massive win for the Cavaliers.

During his 2024 season with the Blazers, he logged seven total tackles, but once 225 rolled around, he saw major growth with more opportunities. That year, he recorded 34 total tackles and two sacks. His most productive game was on Nov. 18, when UAB faced the Rice Owls, and he registered 10 tackles and his second sack of the season.

While fans should be excited to watch Virginia's new additions take the field this year, there will also be a few returners, including Fisher Camac, Jason Hammond, Anthony Britton and Bull Richardson.

Last year, the Cavaliers were underrated toward the start of the season, but they started to heat up. Now, their defense is still one of the least talked about in college football right now, but perhaps with their bolstered roster, it will start gaining some attention this year.

Elliott hammered on the importance of performing well on all three levels, and his latest acquisitions certainly appear to be capable of doing so. All around, Virginia's offseason commitments are incredibly promising and could potentially put the Cavaliers back into College Football Playoff contention during their upcoming campaign.